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The majority of security problems have simple, well documented solutions at the physical security level. Yet these security solutions are often overlooked. Networks administrators should insist first upon a level of physical security as described here.

 

Security policy: Security starts with a written plan. On-line resources and experts may be consulted in writing a long term plan to guide an organization’s security strategy.

A very large portion of Internet security depends on the responsibility of individuals. Promote employee awareness of their part in overall security. In fact most studies show that the majority of security breaches come from the inside of an organization.

Back-ups: Regular back-up copies of all systems and data is essential. Copies should be stored off site. This practice is perhaps the easiest to implement and provides a high degree of recoverability after equipment failure, theft or natural disasters.

Passwords: Passwords are a critical part of any security plan. Since they represent the easiest point of access to outsiders, they must be well maintained, changed regularly and taken seriously by individuals in the organization.

System Maintenance: The following actions are suggested for proper system maintenance.

  • Subscribe to security alert services. Several agencies and professional organizations regularly monitor security issues and report problems and solutions.

  • Review system logs. Network systems store audit trails of their activity which record the comings and goings of users. These should be regularly reviewed for suspicious activity.

  • Use anti-virus software. All organizations should buy, install and use up to date anti-virus software.

  • Install vendor patches. Very often security problems are discovered in vendor hardware and software. Vendors are quick to fix these problems and provide software “patches” or updates for free. The patches must be installed to be effective.
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